Topic: UK General Election - CLACTON

[kavah]

Lovely story about Starmer …

^ I’m not on twitter - what’s it about?

[Riquende]

Spoiler

I wondered whether I would do this, when the time came. But there don’t seem to be many tales of him as a person going round. And, for reasons that will become apparent, I’ll always be grateful. So anyway here it is:

When I was in my early 20s at bar school in 2002, after coming home from a death row internship in Jamaica, I started to get sick. Having never been ill, I developed full blown ME/CFS and had to drop out and return to live with my parents. It lasted over 7 years.

My health fluctuated at first. I managed to go back to Jamaica + secure pupillage in 2004 @7BRchambers, but it turns out that isn’t the best treatment for full blown CFS. So I had a huge relapse, + between 2004 and 2007 could only live at home + go for a walk for 20 mins a day.

The odds at this stage weren’t on me becoming a barrister. A 20 min walk a day and then going to bed doesn’t really cut it in most courts. This was annoying, I was desperate to be a barrister. My legal heroes were Ed Fitzgerald KC and Keir Starmer @DoughtyStPublic

I thought, + still think, that along with the @DeathPenaltyP, stopping the use of the death penalty, in whole areas of the world, 100s off death rows using just your brain, FOR FREE, is a truly incredible thing to achieve.

Much more so than watching more4 +sweating at your mums

Anyway so around 2007 I was getting a bit better, couldn’t work, couldn’t redo bar school, but could go out once every couple of weeks or so to see mates. I met a girl from New Zealand at the buffalo bar who also happened to be a solicitor. I saw her, casually, a couple of times

She had a mad strong NZ accent and was hilarious. One day she called me up and said ‘James I’m coming to Harrow for a widding with my work frinds. It’s a Hindu widding with a big break. You live there is thir much to do?’ The answer to that q, if you’re wondering is no

So I offered to pick her and her frinds up in my mum’s car and drive them to the only decent pub in Harrow, the case is altered, which has a view, + take them back to the widding. I got to the station + she + her friend Victoria get in the car + a lad in the back.

This is Keir … she says.

I knew who it was.

I was very nervous. Driving my legal hero round in my mum’s car aged 28, not a great look. Anyway we all go to the pub. Potential v awkward so you’re seeing this girl but live at your mum’s chat. So I just blurt out I know who you are I worked for Saul and Parvais in Jamaica.

Proper ice breaker. Nice enough chat. He asks a lot about my illness and how I am. Men don’t generally do that. So you notice. I was hoping I could still qualify in a couple of years. About to leave he says email me. So a few days later I do.

Classic barrister he doesn’t get back to me for months.

Then out of the blue he emails and says he has to do a speech, for an @ALBA_Members do on 7 years of the Human Rights Act. Do I want to help research it, he will pay me.

Mate you will what?

It’s hard to convey just how much Keir Starmer QC didn’t need to do this at the time. He was absolutely at the top of his game, the top human rights QC taking the top human rights cases against the government. He didn’t know me at all. No cv, hadn’t seen my grades. Nothing.

He used my work, gave me a co-writing credit, and invited me to inner -temple hall for the event. And he paid me, really quite well, for research from a random.

Only those who have had a chronic illness or had close friends or loved ones who have will know the shot of self-esteem that working with him and having my name on that paper gave me, at a time when I really didn’t think I would become a barrister, or really work at all

It was an act of kindness.

I used to say when I was ill most young people are crap if you have a chronic illness. Why wouldn’t they be? They’ve never known illness. Every so often you’d meet someone + they would be interested. Ask how you were

It was never the people you expected it to be. they always turned out to have been around loved ones who had been ill, or to have been ill themselves.

I didn’t work for Keir again, but it made a real difference to me, at a very low point in my life. I won’t forget it.

Disclosure: I’ve told this story once before, at an early Kentish Town labour event where his local nomination was voted on. I did so in response to claims he’s a blairite, or lacking personality, or whatever it was. I later left the party to to the greens… over anti-semitism. I haven’t gone back. I prob will at some stage, it’s a natural home for me.

But it occurs to me that now might be a helpful moment for the people who have got this far without falling asleep, to know about the kindness, in this small case, of Keir Starmer.

[close]

[TSC]

Another one bites the dust

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/john-redwood-to-step-down-ahead-of-general-election/ar-BB1mXUOZ

[Wabaloolah]

Oh I also forgot to add he attended an event where they got two Tory councillors to dress up in high vis and pretend they were normal people to ask him very carefully selected questions that wouldn't be too difficult for him.

Then there's this:



How can you look so desperately shit looking at a loaf of bread? I genuinely feel like we're in a live episode of The Thick of It.

he's even managed to send the woman to sleep whilst she's standing up!

[cornishscouser92]

[PaulF]

Ok, this will keep you busy all day.  Someones challenged me to say something good the last labour gov did?  I want to start with not partying while the queen sat through her husbands funeral. But that's a bit negative

[west_london_red]

We live in a right wing country. I sit by the away and you see it with all the London clubs excluding arsenal and Tottenham. You can only do what the public allow you to do and only another attritional war would see a left of Starmer party voted in. We need this lot out and this guy has done a fantastically ruthless job at keeping the unelectables out of the limelight. More power to him he is an extremely effective politician within his own party. This bodes well for undoing the damage these vandals have wreaked on us.

Not sure what you think London has to do with the Tories, most of its MPs are Labour, I think the number of Labour MPs actually went up at the last election even though they went down nationally, just voted for a Labour Mayor for the 3rd time. Spurs and Arsenal supporters are generally a decent bunch, Chelsea supporters are absolutely wankers, but they are miles behind the North London clubs in terms of support in the city, they are probably miles behind us and the Mancs too in London, West Ham are a very mixed bunch from what I have seen, Brentford and Fulham generally ok.

[Wabaloolah]

Ok, this will keep you busy all day.  Someones challenged me to say something good the last labour gov did?  I want to start with not partying while the queen sat through her husbands funeral. But that's a bit negative

here's 50

Spoiler

Labour governments’ achievements
[size=inherit]Between 1997 and 2010 Labour was continuously in government. Here are Labour’s top 50 achievements during those years.Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.[/s]
[/color][/font]

• Low mortgage rates.

• Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to £5.52.

• Over 14,000 more police in England and Wales.

• Cut overall crime by 32 per cent.

• Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.

• Young people achieving some of the best ever results at 14, 16, and 18.

• Funding for every pupil in England has doubled.

• Employment is at its highest level ever.

• Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries.

• 85,000 more nurses.

• 32,000 more doctors.

• Brought back matrons to hospital wards.

• Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament.

• Devolved power to the Welsh Assembly.

• Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time.

• NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice.

• Gift aid was worth £828 million to charities last year.

• Restored city-wide government to London.

• Record number of students in higher education.

• Child benefit up 26 per cent since 1997.

• Delivered 2,200 Sure Start Children’s Centres.

• Introduced the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

• £200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & up to £300 for over-80s.

• On course to exceed our Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Restored devolved government to Northern Ireland.

• Over 36,000 more teachers in England and 274,000 more support staff and teaching assistants.

• All full time workers now have a right to 24 days paid holiday.

• A million pensioners lifted out of poverty.

• 600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty.

• Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents.

• Scrapped Section 28 and introduced Civil Partnerships.

• Brought over 1 million social homes up to standard.

• Inpatient waiting lists down by over half a million since 1997.

• Banned fox hunting.

• Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since before the industrial revolution.

• Free TV licences for over-75s.

• Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals.

• Free breast cancer screening for all women aged between 50-70.

• Free off peak local bus travel for over-60s.

• New Deal – helped over 1.8 million people into work.

• Over 3 million child trust funds have been started.

• Free eye test for over 60s.

• More than doubled the number of apprenticeships.

• Free entry to national museums and galleries.

• Overseas aid budget more than doubled.

• Heart disease deaths down by 150,000 and cancer deaths down by 50,000.

• Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent.

• Free nursery places for every three and four-year-olds.

• Free fruit for most four to six-year-olds at school

https://www.shrewsburylabour.org.uk/labours-top-50-achievements/

[close]

[John C]

Another one bites the dust
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/john-redwood-to-step-down-ahead-of-general-election/ar-BB1mXUOZ

Excellent news. Another MP who has contributed zero to the wellbeing of the people in the UK.
Good riddance gobshite.

[A-Bomb]

Excellent news. Another MP who has contributed zero to the wellbeing of the people in the UK.
Good riddance gobshite.

Fucking glorious isn't it watching the rats jump ship.

[Red-Soldier]

We live in a right wing country. I sit by the away and you see it with all the London clubs excluding arsenal and Tottenham. You can only do what the public allow you to do and only another attritional war would see a left of Starmer party voted in. We need this lot out and this guy has done a fantastically ruthless job at keeping the unelectables out of the limelight. More power to him he is an extremely effective politician within his own party. This bodes well for undoing the damage these vandals have wreaked on us.

Do we?

The majority of the press and media, are right wing, yes. However, most people vote for centre, or left of centre parties.  It's the voting system that skews the results.

And as WLR has said, not sure what London has to do with it.  Most of which, are Labour MPs.

[PaulF]

here's 50

Spoiler

Labour governments’ achievements
[size=inherit]Between 1997 and 2010 Labour was continuously in government. Here are Labour’s top 50 achievements during those years.Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.[/s]
[/color][/font]

• Low mortgage rates.

• Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to £5.52.

• Over 14,000 more police in England and Wales.

• Cut overall crime by 32 per cent.

• Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.

• Young people achieving some of the best ever results at 14, 16, and 18.

• Funding for every pupil in England has doubled.

• Employment is at its highest level ever.

• Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries.

• 85,000 more nurses.

• 32,000 more doctors.

• Brought back matrons to hospital wards.

• Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament.

• Devolved power to the Welsh Assembly.

• Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time.

• NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice.

• Gift aid was worth £828 million to charities last year.

• Restored city-wide government to London.

• Record number of students in higher education.

• Child benefit up 26 per cent since 1997.

• Delivered 2,200 Sure Start Children’s Centres.

• Introduced the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

• £200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & up to £300 for over-80s.

• On course to exceed our Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Restored devolved government to Northern Ireland.

• Over 36,000 more teachers in England and 274,000 more support staff and teaching assistants.

• All full time workers now have a right to 24 days paid holiday.

• A million pensioners lifted out of poverty.

• 600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty.

• Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents.

• Scrapped Section 28 and introduced Civil Partnerships.

• Brought over 1 million social homes up to standard.

• Inpatient waiting lists down by over half a million since 1997.

• Banned fox hunting.

• Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since before the industrial revolution.

• Free TV licences for over-75s.

• Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals.

• Free breast cancer screening for all women aged between 50-70.

• Free off peak local bus travel for over-60s.

• New Deal – helped over 1.8 million people into work.

• Over 3 million child trust funds have been started.

• Free eye test for over 60s.

• More than doubled the number of apprenticeships.

• Free entry to national museums and galleries.

• Overseas aid budget more than doubled.

• Heart disease deaths down by 150,000 and cancer deaths down by 50,000.

• Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent.

• Free nursery places for every three and four-year-olds.

• Free fruit for most four to six-year-olds at school

https://www.shrewsburylabour.org.uk/labours-top-50-achievements/

[close]

Thank you, I'll cherry pick some of these.
Interesting that some of these won't be seen as positives. Ie Pro business people won't like the extra parental leave (though I can spin it as a good thing  -- edit-- for business as well as the individual).

[cornishscouser92]

Is there anything more pointless than the Liberal Democrats?

[Red-Soldier]

Is there anything more pointless than the Liberal Democrats?

What a very silly comment.  They run quite a few councils, and many vote for them, who would never vote Labour.

[Red-Soldier]

Corbyn to stand as an independent.

[cornishscouser92]

What a very silly comment.  They run quite a few councils, and many vote for them, who would never vote Labour.

Not really, when Labour drift to the left there's a spot for them as a centre/centre left party, but a centrist labour makes them redundant. For example they're arguing for housebuilding but are then saying locally they're NIMBY's to win Tory shires. They all got into power last time and had the gravitas and conviction of wet cardboard.

[Libertine]

Not really, when Labour drift to the left there's a spot for them as a centre/centre left party, but a centrist labour makes them redundant. For example they're arguing for housebuilding but are then saying locally they're NIMBY's to win Tory shires. They all got into power last time and had the gravitas and conviction of wet cardboard.

There's probably what, about 100 seats (just a guess) where the top two are Tories and LibDems - they could win about 50 of these. Without the Lib Dems, the Tories win these. Labour are nowhere. You can't just say Labour are moderate now, they can compete there. It takes years/decades to build a profile in some seats/regions. These are places where the Lib Dems either run the councils or are the main opposition.

The left of centre vote has often been split in a very damaging way. Luckily this time, it's split in a near perfect way to cause maximum damage to the Tories. The Lib Dem vote is nowhere overall (~10% for years now) but highly concentrated in their target areas.

[Lusty]

Ok, this will keep you busy all day.  Someones challenged me to say something good the last labour gov did?  I want to start with not partying while the queen sat through her husbands funeral. But that's a bit negative

People stopped dying in hospital corridors, nurses didn't have to use food banks, homelessness dropped by something like 60%, schools didn't fall apart, the tax burden was lower and so was the national debt.

Basically, everything was better.

[Statto Red]

Lib Dems useful tool for those Tories who can't bring themselves to vote Labour, & Lib Dems most likely win Tory held seats particularly where they are second to the Tories.

[TSC]

We live in a right wing country. I sit by the away and you see it with all the London clubs excluding arsenal and Tottenham. You can only do what the public allow you to do and only another attritional war would see a left of Starmer party voted in. We need this lot out and this guy has done a fantastically ruthless job at keeping the unelectables out of the limelight. More power to him he is an extremely effective politician within his own party. This bodes well for undoing the damage these vandals have wreaked on us.

It’s generally relatively ‘centrist’.  Sometimes it’s to the right of centre (Tories) and less often it’s to the left of centre (Labour).  When either party drifts to the extremes then said party doesn’t get elected.  Evidence the current polls re the Tory party who have headbangers like Braverman et al.

[kavah]

People stopped dying in hospital corridors, nurses didn't have to use food banks, homelessness dropped by something like 60%, schools didn't fall apart, the tax burden was lower and so was the national debt.

Basically, everything was better.

Absolutely.
Labour’s economic policy back then was designed by serious and intelligent folk like Gordon Brown and not absolute fucking morons like Liz Truss

[PaulF]

Absolutely.
Labour’s economic policy back then was designed by serious and intelligent folk like Gordon Brown and not absolute fucking morons like Liz Truss

I'm not convinced , that generally speaking , chancellors have much control over the economy. They can tweak, but global events drive it.
Truss, admittedly, bucked that trend. 
What they can do is chose where the money they have got is allocated though.

[cornishscouser92]

Lib Dems useful tool for those Tories who can't bring themselves to vote Labour, & Lib Dems most likely win Tory held seats particularly where they are second to the Tories.

Reform will do more damage to the Tories this election

[kavah]

I'm not convinced , that generally speaking , chancellors have much control over the economy. They can tweak, but global events drive it.

More than tweak. For Example when Gordon Brown advocated a Keynesian response to the financial crisis, while the Tories always go for austerity - and the foodbanks and child poverty that result.
Labour did well in spite of the 2009, once in a century, economic crash.

It's all quite complex though I suppose and the context and the time they were governing. Most Tories want a quick and easy answer like blame our current economic state on welfare scroungers and immigrants rather than Brexit.

[west_london_red]

I'm not convinced , that generally speaking , chancellors have much control over the economy. They can tweak, but global events drive it.
Truss, admittedly, bucked that trend. 
What they can do is chose where the money they have got is allocated though.

Id say we are more at the mercy of global events then we were during the New Labour years, that’s a combination of the huge levels of debt we have now, Brexit and the wider national decline the Tories have overseen.

[PaulF]

Agree to more than tweak.
But the world came out of the gfc and gave brown money to spend. I'm not sure he did much to cause that.
Independence for boe to set rates for sure. Almost as a regulator for the government of the day.

[cornishscouser92]

More than tweak. For Example when Gordon Brown advocated a Keynesian response to the financial crisis, while the Tories always go for austerity - and the foodbanks and child poverty that result.
Labour did well in spite of the 2009, once in a century, economic crash.

It's all quite complex though I suppose and the context and the time they were governing. Most Tories want a quick and easy answer like blame our current economic state on welfare scroungers and immigrants rather than Brexit.

Keynesian economics argues a country should run budget surpluses at times of economic growth and advocates spending on capital projects when an economy enters recession, Labour ran a budget deficit from 2002 to 2008 in the 'good times' before the recession, so it wasn't a carbon copy of Keynesian economics.

To say Labour is soley at fault for the 2008 crash would be nonsense. However, they are not blameless as they did encourage a lack of regulation which contributed to the crash. The FCA or at the time FSA were absolutely pointless. A good example of this is RBS' takeover of ABN Amro which should never have happened. Moreover, the capital requirements Banks held at the time from the BoE and the regulators were far too small, thus chaos when it all went tits up as banks didn't have any liquidity.

[PaulF]

Id say we are more at the mercy of global events then we were during the New Labour years, that’s a combination of the huge levels of debt we have now, Brexit and the wider national decline the Tories have overseen.

Good point. Brexit was a huge economic hit. And enabled by the tories.  I guess, technically, outside the chancellors remit though. 

[mickeydocs]

Do we?

The majority of the press and media, are right wing, yes. However, most people vote for centre, or left of centre parties.  It's the voting system that skews the results.

And as WLR has said, not sure what London has to do with it.  Most of which, are Labour MPs.

It is a centre right country. Look at child care costs, the two tier school system, means testing for child benefit, privatisation of water and rail. Anglo-American capitalism based around loosely regulated financial services.

[Lusty]

I'm not convinced , that generally speaking , chancellors have much control over the economy. They can tweak, but global events drive it.
Truss, admittedly, bucked that trend. 
What they can do is chose where the money they have got is allocated though.

I don't think that's true.  You only have to look at the change in policy between Brown/Darling and Osborne to see that.  Unless you don't think the austerity policies had much effect on the economy?

[Gili Gulu]

Good point. Brexit was a huge economic hit. And enabled by the tories.  I guess, technically, outside the chancellors remit though. 

The Tories had the choice. Should we follow a policy that the majority of the party believes in, remaining in the EU, and risk a damaging split in the party. Or should we switch to supporting Brexit, which we believe could be hugely damaging to the country, and keep the Conservative Party united?

They chose to benefit the Conservative Party, pandered to the European Research Group (didn't believe in research or Europe), and royally screwed the entire country. (then retired to their country houses and Mediterranean villa)

[Lisan Al Gaib]

Corbyn to stand as an independent.

And has been expelled from the Labour Party which is delightful. Would love to see him lose. This move, just like many others of his through his political career, shows that he's all about himself and himself only.

[Red Beret]

Reform will do more damage to the Tories this election

the point is that the Tory vote will be squeezed between Reform and the Lib Dems in critical areas; the same way the Labour vote was chopped off at the knees by the SDP-Liberal Alliance in 1983.

Plus, Reform won't win any seats, no matter how high the poll, whereas the Lib Dems will.

I'm not sure I can ever forgive the Lib Dems for their part in the past 14 years, but in this election they can at least begin making amends.

[Red-Soldier]

It is a centre right country. Look at child care costs, the two tier school system, means testing for child benefit, privatisation of water and rail. Anglo-American capitalism based around loosely regulated financial services.

Yes.  That is what our leaders and governments have adopted.  However, is it what the majority want?  I'm not so sure.  Vested interests control and lobby governments, to dictate policy.

For example, I think most of the country would want to renationalise our water companies and our transport.

[PaulF]

I don't think that's true.  You only have to look at the change in policy between Brown/Darling and Osborne to see that.  Unless you don't think the austerity policies had much effect on the economy?

I'm sure they had some effect. But big investment plans may well have been held in check by the markets that would react in a similar way to which they did with Truss.

[killer-heels]

Corbyn should win that one. Will be loads of people campaigning for him.

[Red Beret]

Hey. At least I did not refer to to it as 'a wireless'.

Yup. It's called "Wifi" these days.

[PaulF]

Yes.  That is what our leaders and governments have adopted.  However, is it what the majority want?  I don't think so.  Vested interests control and lobby governments, to dictate policy.

For example, I think most of the country would want to renationalise our water companies and our transport.

Theoretically , yes. But at what cost to water bills and taxes? Too often they fall for the smoke and mirrors that private investment would be cheaper in the long run.

Interesting articles popping up in the Guardian about how national grid have just raised £6bn to invest , from the private sector. not sure if it's because that's being well run , or because we haven't uncovered their fuck ups yet!

[Wabaloolah]

Excellent news. Another MP who has contributed zero to the wellbeing of the people in the UK.
Good riddance gobshite.

agreed although it would have been nice for him to get the boot from the electorate rather than taking the coward's way out like the snivelling shit he is

[BigCDump]

Corbyn should win that one. Will be loads of people campaigning for him.

He's been campaigning for 7 months already. Not for the elections directly but a large chunk of people turn up for those Saturday marches expressly to see him on the podium each time. The last march had 250k+ protestors for example. He even gets introduced as "The People's Prime Minister" which probably makes him cringe.

A large number of Jewish folk turn up to cheer him on as well. Some also share the podium with him. He's definitely getting a fair share of the North London Jewish votes too.